WARD VILLAGES

BURIAL COUNCIL WAS TOLD OF EXTENSIVE BURIALS

It is appalling that certain O'ahu Island Burial Council members claim they did not know of the extensive burials at the Ward Villages project and shocking to hear that they are suddenly taking a different path.

Each member of the council was in receipt of testimony I sent to them before the vote to relocate the 11 sets of remains.

The testimony detailed the number of burials that were located and disturbed in the Honolulu area alone. I reiterated that many more discoveries at the Ward project was more than a guarantee.

The six disregarded the testimony of my 'ohana, who pressed for preservation in place.

Only four members asked for more surveys and for the council to hold up their vote until more testing could be done. These were the four members who voted to preserve the remains in place.

While there is an urgency to reform the State Historic Preservation Division and to fill positions with qualified personnel, in the same stroke replace the six council members who have forgotten their kuleana and are now trying to backpedal.

PAI'OLU KAIAULU

MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING AT SHELTER

The article "Wai'anae homeless shelter beds go empty" (Aug. 13) does not reflect all that is happening at Pai'olu Kaiaulu.

First, we are dealing with human beings, not cattle or coffee beans that can be merely counted. The residents of Pai'olu Kaiaulu come from many different backgrounds, tragedies and challenges.

Lives are changing at Pai'olu Kaiaulu. There is a renewed sense of faith and trust that has been restored because of the hard work and spirit of the staff, administration and volunteers.

Children are finally eating regular daily meals, getting medical attention, going to a pre-school and getting tutoring help. Adults are rebuilding their self-esteem, getting jobs and going to school to become counselors and health administrators. It is the quality of people's lives at Pai'olu Kaiaulu, not the numbers that must be evaluated.

Yes, life has rules and consequences. Adapting to change is difficult, and breaking old habits that may go back for generations can be frightening. Some will retreat back into old patterns of hurt, abuse and apathy but others will finally feel worthy of having a good life and become all they can for themselves and their children.

Pai'olu Kaiaulu is the beginning of a new life for many, and as in any birth there is always pain and joy.

We need to honor that process with kindness, understanding and aloha, whether it is for one person or 100. Because, as we know, it can take only one person to change the world for better or worse.

SAFETY

FIRE BREAKS NECESSARY ON UNCULTIVATED LANDS

Just a few years ago, we experienced a large brushfire in almost the same area as last week's Waialua brushfire.

Year after year, taxpayers are left to foot the bill for fighting brushfires on the same properties.

And year after year, firefighters are called upon to risk their lives to fight brushfires on the same properties.

And year after year, the small farmers surrounding these areas suffer the consequences of neglectful neighbors who allow their properties to become overgrown with brush.

And year after year, housing areas need to be evacuated because of threatening brushfires from the same adjacent properties.

It is time for the City Council to require owners of large tracts of uncultivated lands to establish fire breaks on those lands.

While no one can say for certain if fire breaks would have helped with this fire, they certainly would not have hurt had they been in the area where the fire started and before it had a chance to gain momentum.

And fire breaks could certainly have played a role in fighting this fire. This is borne out by the fact that firefighters tried to establish fire breaks while fighting this fire.

HONOLULU ZOO

MOVE BUS STOP BACK TO KAPAHULU, CARTWRIGHT

I agree with the letter written by R. Rodman ("Better signs would help direct people to zoo," Aug. 2).

Also, it would be an advantage for bus riders if the bus stop was relocated back to Kapahulu and Cartwright, which is across from the zoo.

PAUAHI & RIVER

WHY CAN'T POLICE STOP CONSTANT DRUG DEALING?

Every time I return to Hawai'i, I see the same problem.

At night, returning to my apartment in Kukui Gardens, Pauahi and River streets are littered with shady figures who stand around waiting for their "goods" to arrive.

The smell of alcohol and the hostile glares would make any person uncomfortable.

The streets are extremely unsafe for any passer-by. Drug dealing has been a rising problem in the Islands.

Why do the police seem to catch every single jaywalker, but they cannot seem to catch the drug dealing that occurs in the same places every single night?